Snapshots
by AllyLobster
Summary: Outtakes from 101 Reasons. Stories that wouldn't fit in that story for various reasons. You don't need to read 101 Reasons to understand this, but I would love if you did. Please read and review.
1. Ear Infection

**So this is going to be a series of outtakes from 101 Reasons- which you should all read if you haven't already. Mainly, they're stories that I've come up with, but won't fit into the story, either because I've already done the number, or because there isn't one for what I want.**

**This one in particular I've had in my head for a little while, and I finally decided to get it written down. Hope you enjoy it.**

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**Ear Infection**

As Clara opened her eyes, the first thing she was aware of was that her ears hurt. A lot. She laid in bed for a few minutes, trying to make the pain go away, but she eventually decided that this was a job for her parents.

So she carefully got out of her bed, making sure to bring Pooh Bear and her blanket with her. She stepped into the hallway and made her way to the stairs. She passed AJ's door and briefly considered waking her sister up to help her, but she was nearly 3 years old, and wanted to be a big girl.

When she got to the top of the stairs, Clara tossed Pooh Bear down, and as soon as she heard the thump of his landing, she began making her way slowly down the stairs, one step at a time. She held tightly to the railings, even as she held her blanket in the crook of her arm. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she spent a few minutes trying to locate Pooh, but once she'd done it, she held him tightly to her chest and walked slowly to her parent's bedroom.

Their room was dark, and Clara nearly tripped over the clothes strewn all over the floor. She knew her mom slept on the side of the bed away from the door, so she walked to the end of the bed and used her hand to make sure she knew when to turn. When she got to her mom's side of the bed, however, Clara realized she had another issue.

She wasn't big enough to actually get onto the bed.

Luckily, Kate's hand was hanging off the side of the bed, so Clara grabbed her fingers and tugged lightly. "Mumma." She said.

* * *

Kate felt something tugging on her hand, and at first, she thought Rick was trying to wake her up for another round, but then she heard the soft voice.

"Mumma."

Kate peeked her eye open, and from the light of the clock, she saw Clara standing by her bed. "Clara?" Kate asked, her voice rough from lack of use.

"Mumma?" Clara asked as she leaned in. "Mumma help?"

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"Clara up?"

Kate was about to agree when she remembered that both her and Rick were naked under the covers, and that wasn't something she needed her daughters to ever see.

"Hold on, Clara." Kate said before she rolled over to face Rick. "Rick, wake up."

"Huh?" Rick asked as his hand reached out and tugged Kate closer. "Already need more?" He asked as he peeked an eye open.

"Always do. But I don't really want Clara to see that."

"She's here?" Rick asked, instantly awake.

Kate nodded. "So pull some pants on and take her out into the kitchen so I can get dressed?" She asked softly.

Rick nodded, and Kate rolled back over to her daughter. She reached her hand out and tucked a lock of Clara's hair behind her ear. "Daddy's gonna take you to the kitchen, and I'll be there in a bit, ok?"

"Ears hurt." Clara said, flinching away from Kate's hand near her ear.

"Your ears hurt?" Kate asked, more concerned now.

Clara nodded. "Hurt lots." She whimpered

Rick came over to his daughter and pulled her into his arms. "Come on, Monkey. I'll get you some juice and then Mumma will come see us, ok?"

Clara tucked her head into the crook of Rick's head and nodded. "Kay."

Rick carried her from the room, and as soon as she was alone, Kate climbed out of bed and went to the closet. She pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and an old sweatshirt of Rick's before she pulled her hair into a loose braid and went to join her husband and daughter.

She walked into the kitchen as Clara held out Pooh to her dad. "Daddy kiss Mitter Pooh's head?"

Rick took the bear and looked at him. "What happened?"

"I frowed him down the stairs."

"Why?"

"Too hard ta carry him and Mitter Blanket."

Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to Pooh's head. "All better."

"Monkey, did you come all the way from your room by yourself?" Kate asked as she approached the two of them.

"I big girl. Didn't want Aa wake up."

Kate nodded. "Do your ears still hurt?"

"Yeah. They hurt an' they hot."

Kate brought the back of her hand up to Clara's forehead and held it there for a moment, before Clara grabbed it and dragged it to one of her ears. Instantly, Kate felt her daughter relax.

"Does that feel good?"

"Mumma hand cold." Clara said.

Kate nodded and withdrew her hand after a moment. She walked over to the freezer and grabbed one of the bean bags they kept in there. She brought it back to Clara and held it against her ear. "Is that better?"

Clara nodded. "It cold."

Kate held the bag to her ear for a moment longer before switching to the other ear. She continued switching ears until Clara had finished her juice and held her cup out to Rick. He took it and the bean bag and placed the cup in the dishwasher before exchanging the bean bag for another one.

Kate lifted Clara into her arms, and instantly the little girl gripped the sweatshirt tightly with one hand and locked her legs around Kate's waist.

"Come on, Monkey. You're gonna stay with Daddy and me tonight, and then we'll take you to the doctor in the morning, ok?"

"No docor." Clara said as she gripped her blanket tighter and buried her face in Kate's chest.

Kate laughed softly. "You need a doctor, Monkey. Or else you won't get better."

"No shots." Clara said, her voice muffled by the fabric.

"If I promise no shots, will you go?" Kate asked as they entered the bedroom.

"Yeah." Clara said.

"Ok. No shots."

"Kay."

Kate got to her side of the bed, and she tugged lightly on the blanket in Clara's hand until she let go and grasped the sweatshirt with her other hands. Kate tossed the blanket onto the bed and got under the covers. She kept one hand on Clara's back, even though both adults knew her grip was strong enough to keep herself in that position without any help from her parents. Her nickname wasn't Monkey for no reason after all.

Once Kate was settled, Clara unhooked her legs from Kate's waist and shifted so she was lying with her head on Kate's chest. Kate felt the bed shift, and when she turned her head, Rick was climbing into bed beside them. He had the bean bag in one hand and his computer in the other. He handed the bean bag to Kate and she had Clara lift her head so she could place it on her chest for Clara to lie on.

"I'm gonna write for a bit." Rick said in response to Kate's raised eyebrow. "And I'll grab another one when that's not cold anymore."

Kate nodded and reclined so she was laying down. Rick pulled the covers up to Kate's waist, and covered Clara with her blanket after he made sure she was holding Pooh Bear. Kate leaned her head down and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"I love you, Monkey." She murmured. "We'll get you all better, ok?"

"Kay. Love you, Mumma." Clara replied. "Love you too, Daddy."

"I love you, Clara." Rick murmured as he leaned over and kissed his daughter's cheek and his wife's head.

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**It's been a while since I've had an ear infection, and the only thing I remember from it was that I was constantly pressing the cold part of my blanket to my ear because it was the only thing that made it stop hurting, at least until I got medicine. But I was way too stubborn and refused to take the meds. I was 3, and I basically told my mom that I didn't care that I would miss our trip to Disneyland if my ears weren't better. I wasn't about to take that nasty stuff.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	2. Cuddle

**This was an idea I had for #91 in 101 reasons, but I'd already written it, so I decided to put it here.**

**I reposted 101 Reasons, because someone reported it and FF took it down, so if you were trying to read it, (Because you totally should.) it's back up.**

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**Cuddle**

Rick walked into the master bedroom and stopped when he heard a noise coming from the bathroom.

"Kate?" He called through the door. "Are you ok?"

"No!" She called back. "Go away."

Rick was puzzled until he heard the sound of her trying to stifle a sob. Sighing, he opened the door and entered the bathroom, where he found Kate sitting on the bathtub crying.

"Hey." He said softly. "What's wrong, hun?"

"I got goosebumps." Kate sobbed.

Rick nodded as though it made perfect sense, even though he had no idea what she was talking about. He gingerly sat down and wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulder. When she leaned her head against him, he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"And that's a bad thing?" He asked softly, hoping she wouldn't start yelling at him.

"Yes!" Kate exclaimed. "It's just about the worst thing that can happen when you shave your legs."

Rick nodded again. "Why were you shaving, Kate?"

Kate mumbled her response, but it was muffled by his shirt.

"You're gonna need to speak up." He said gently.

Kate sighed and sat up as she wiped under her eyes. "I was trying to be sexy for you."

"Why?" Rick asked, confused.

"Because it's our anniversary. And I know that you'd want-"

"Kate, stop." Rick cut her off. "I want you to listen to me, ok?"

Rick waited until Kate looked up at him and nodded.

"You don't need to try to be sexy for me, ok? I think you're the sexiest person ever, I honestly do. And as for sex tonight, it's not necessary."

"But it's our anniversary." Kate cut in, as if he was missing an important point. "Alexis took AJ to her house for the night so we could be alone."

"I know." Rick chuckled. "But that doesn't mean we need to do anything more than going to bed early. You're tired, Kate, and you need to sleep. We can wait until you're feeling up to sex, and then we'll send AJ off with Alexis or Mother, or your dad. But until then, we can go to bed and watch Temptation Lane and cuddle, ok?"

Kate nodded after a moment, and smiled when Rick kissed her forehead. "Ok." She whispered.

Rick stood up and pulled Kate to her feet. He reached over to the vanity and grabbed the lotion sitting there. He set it on the bathtub and squirted some into his hand and began slowly and gently rubbing it into the skin of Kate's stomach. When he was done, he kissed her lips softly and went to wash his hands.

"Rick?" Kate asked quietly as she reached for the pajamas she'd brought in with her in case she lost her nerve. She slipped Rick's old T-shirt over her head as she waited for him to answer.

"What, Kate?" Rick asked as he dried his hands off.

"Do you really think I'm still sexy?" She asked. "You're not... bored?"

Rick shook his head. "God, no, Kate. I'm not the least bit bored."

"And?" She hedged. Normally she wouldn't fish for compliments, but she needed the reaffirmation.

Rick smiled. "I think you're the sexiest woman I've ever met. Kate, you gave me a daughter, and I can't even begin to tell you what that means to me. But now, you're giving me another baby. Kate, we made two people together. We have a gorgeous little girl, and in a matter of months, she'll have a little sibling. And you did that. There's nothing sexier than that to me." Rick said as he pulled her into his arms.

Kate nodded as she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."

Rick pulled away with a smile and kissed the tip of Kate's nose. "Now, come on. Let's go watch Temptation Lane."

He dropped his hand and grabbed hers to twine their fingers together. Kate smiled and followed him when he began puling her from the bathroom.

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**There you go, hope you liked the fluffy stuff.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	3. Nightmare

**I got a few more ideas for this story, so I will hopefully have more updates within the next few days.**

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**Nightmares**

As Clara ran down the hall, she couldn't help looking behind her to see if they were catching up to her. They were still a ways behind her, but she had short legs and could't run very fast. Suddenly, she saw a man step out in front of her. She skidded to a halt and looked up at him with fear in her eyes. He looked down at her and smiled and motioned for her to get behind him. She did as she was told, and a moment later, the men that had been chasing her dropped to the floor.

Clara let out a sigh of relief and looked up at the man. "Thanks, Mitter."

He nodded at her. "You're welcome. But now it's your turn."

Before Clara could move, he had his gun trained on her. Clara squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered for her mom and dad.

BANG!

Clara's eyes opened and she moaned softly in pain. She'd managed to fall out of bed, and judging by the way her head hurt, she'd hit it on something on her way to the ground. Carefully, she stood up and looked at her bed. Pooh Bear was resting against her pillow where he belonged, and all her blankets were kicked to the foot of the bed.

Clara contemplated getting back in and trying to sleep again, but she still saw that man from her dreams. Instead she grabbed Pooh and walked toward her door. Just before opening it, she stopped. The hallway from her dream had been eerily similar to the hallway outside her bedroom. And while she knew it was a dream, she was worried about something happening.

"Alrigh' Mitter Pooh. We need a plan." Clara said as she held Pooh at arm's length and looked at him seriously. "Whatre we gonn' do?"

It was silent for a moment, before Clara shook her head. "Can' wake Mumma an' Daddy. Woke them up las' night."

She considered her bear for a moment before nodding decisively. "Good idea. AJ will help."

She tucked Pooh back into her chest and crept toward her door again. Just as she reached it, she pulled him right up in front of her face so she could whisper in his ear. "Alrigh' Mitter Pooh. Gotsta be quiet." She watched him for a moment before she slowly pulled her door open. She jumped over to lean against the wall just in case someone had been outside, but after she determined that she and Pooh were alone, she crept into the hall. She took a tentative step toward AJ's room, but a sudden creak from downstairs had her running the rest of the way.

She hurriedly opened AJ's door and slipped inside, shutting it behind herself. AJ stirred and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Clara? Is that you?"

"Hi." Clara whispered softly.

"What are you doing in here, Monkey?"

Clara thought for a moment. She wanted to stay with AJ, but her sister was almost 9, and Clara didn't want her to think that she was a baby. Clara looked at the floor and shuffled her feet. She heard movement, and a moment later, AJ was crouching in front of her and pushing her hair behind her ear, just like their mom did.

"What's wrong, Monkey?" AJ asked softly.

Clara sighed and looked up. "I hadda bad dream. There were guys chasing me in the hall. And then 'nother guy saved me, but then he tried ta shoot me!"

AJ nodded. "Why didn't you go to Momma and Daddy?"

Clara shook her head. "Mitter Pooh said to do that. But that's where we went las' night."

AJ didn't say anything for a moment. She didn't want her sister to be alone after having a bad dream, but she didn't know what to do to help her, not like their parents could. Finally, she made up her mind.

"Alright. Come on, Monk." AJ lifted Clara off the floor and carried her to the bed. She set Clara down and pulled the covers up to her chin. "I'll be right back, Monk."

"You can't leave, AJ! They gonn' get you!"

AJ smiled. "I'll be ok. I'll take my nerf gun."

Clara thought for a second before she nodded. "Kay. Can you turn on the night light till you get back?"

AJ smiled. "Of course."

After she'd clicked on the night light, AJ opened her door and slipped into the hallway, leaving Clara alone in the bed.

"Alright, Mitter Pooh. Now we just gotsta wait for her ta come back." Clara said softly.

* * *

AJ crept down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, and used a stool to get two mugs down from the cabinet. She poured milk into each mug, managing to only spill a little bit, since the gallon was almost completely full. She carefully carried the mugs over to the microwave and put the first one in for a few minutes.

When she heard the microwave ding, she opened it and saw that almost all of the milk and overflowed.

"Dang it!" AJ cried, before remembering that it was night and everyone else was sleeping. She grabbed paper towels and tried to clean up while she heard noises coming from her parents' bedroom.

* * *

Kate was jolted awake but what sounded like the microwave going off, followed by a loud exclamation.

"Castle?" She asked, unsure if her fiancé had gotten up to do some writing or not.

"Mm?" She heard from the lump beside her. "Kate?"

"Did you hear the microwave?"

Rick mumbled something else and rolled over, pulling her more tightly against him. He was just about to drop off into sleep again when Kate elbowed him.

"Ow. Why'd you do that?"

"There's someone in the kitchen." Kate hissed.

"You're the one with a gun." Rick pointed out.

"Just go see what it is." Kate said as she nudged him out of bed.

Rick sighed but slid out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt. He walked through his office and stopped when he saw AJ in the kitchen.

"AJ?" He asked, confused as to why she wasn't in bed.

"Sorry." She whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"What are you doing down here?"

AJ sighed. "Clara had a bad dream. I didn't really know what to do, but I remembered Momma doing this for me a couple times, only she used the stove. But Clara didn't want to wake you up, so I had to use the microwave and it exploded." She said, gesturing to the mess around her.

"What exploded?" Kate asked as she came shuffling into the kitchen. "AJ, what are you doin' up?"

AJ recounted her tale while she continued trying to clean up until Kate walked over to her and took over responsibility. "Where's Clara now?" She asked.

"In my room with Pooh. I didn't know what else to do, so I decided to try this."

Kate nodded as she threw away the paper towels and dumped what was rest of the milk from that mug into the sink. She pulled out a pot and poured in the other mug full, along with a good sized amount form the gallon in the fridge. She looked over at Rick where he was leaning against the counter, looking more awake with each passing second. They shared a look, and then Rick went up the stairs to get Clara while Kate turned the stove on.

"I'm sorry." AJ mumbled as she sat on one of the stools.

Kate smiled at her and shook her head. "Don't be. You tried to help your sister in the best way you could. That's nothing to be sorry about."

"But I made a mess." AJ said, gesturing to the kitchen.

Kate nodded. "And you can help me clean it up. But you didn't do anything wrong."

Kate went back to the stove and stirred the milk as Rick came back down the stairs with Clara clinging to his shirt.

"Mumma?" She asked softly.

Kate smiled at her. "Hey, Monkey. AJ said you had a bad dream?"

Clara nodded. "They were chasing me in the hall. Then a guy saved me, but he tried ta shoot me after."

Kate smiled softly. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Mumma hug me?"

Kate smiled and walked over to Rick and Clara. In a practiced maneuver, Kate pulled Clara's hands away from Rick's shirt and pulled her into her arms, leaving Rick free to keep an eye on the stove. Clara held tightly to Kate and buried her face in Kate's neck.

"Why didn't you come to us, Monkey?" She asked softly, careful not to make it sound like she was mad.

"I woke you up las' night."

Kate smiled and rubbed Clara's back. "It's ok, Clara. You can come to us if you have a bad dream."

"Promise?"

Kate nodded. "Promise."

When she looked up, Rick was pouring the milk into four mugs. Kate grabbed Clara's monkey mug for her and handed it over, making sure that the little girl didn't spill any of the hot liquid on herself.

The family hung out in the kitchen until everyone was done and feeling sleepy again.

"Where do you want to go, Monkey?" AJ asked.

Clara thought for a moment. There was no way she was going back to sleep by herself, so it became about whether she wanted to sleep with her parents or her sister.

"Can I stay with you, AJ?" She finally asked, worried her sister would say no now that their parents were awake.

But AJ looked relieved, like she'd wanted Clara to pick her. "Of course. I have to help clean up, but Momma can stay with until I'm done, ok?"

Clara nodded and laid her head on Kate's shoulder. "Thanks."

AJ smiled at her sister and grabbed a dish cloth to begin cleaning. Rick pressed a kiss to Clara's head before grabbing another one and starting to clean the microwave. Kate put all the mugs in the sink and turned to carry Clara up to AJ's room. When they arrived, Kate set Clara down and tucked her in after making sure that Pooh was firmly in her grasp. Kate sat down on top of the covers and stroked Clara's hair.

"Do you feel better, Monk?" Kate asked softly.

Clara nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Mumma."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Next time you have a nightmare, come to me or Daddy, alright?"

Clara nodded again. "Kay."

Kate smiled and began to hum softly.

"Mumma, stop." Clara said. "You gotta wait until AJ gets here."

Kate laughed, but did as she was told. "Ok."

When AJ arrived a few minutes later, Kate tucked her in and watched and AJ wrapped her arms around Clara and hugged her tightly. Clara curled into her sister's embrace and rested her head on AJ's shoulder. Kate crouched down by Clara's head and began humming again, earning a smile from both her daughter's when she was done, Kate kissed them both and turned off the night light. She closed AJ's door behind her and made her way back down to her bedroom.

When she climbed into bed, Rick pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. "Monkey ok?"

Kate hummed. "Yeah. Told me to wait for AJ before I could hum."

Rick smiled. "That sounds like our little Monkey."

Kate smiled and brushed a kiss to his throat. "Goodnight, Castle."

"Goodnight, Kate."

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**WOW! That turned out ****_way_**** longer than I'd planned. Originally, Kate and Rick weren't even supposed to be in it. Oh well. Hopefully it was still good and you guys liked it. **

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	4. Babies

**I was rewatching the video that inspired 101 Reasons...again. And I got to the part where Maddie says that Kate wants to make babies with Rick, so I decided to write about her telling him that she wants to. Yeah.**

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**#103 Because she wants to make little Castle babies with him**

"You're happy about this, right, Castle?" Kate asked later, after their celebrations had ended. "I know you said in there that you were, but..."

Rick rolled onto his side and looked at his girlfriend. "Yes. I'm happy. I'm thrilled, Kate. I promise."

Kate smiled and nodded. "Ok."

"Ok?" Rick asked.

Kate's smile grew. "Yeah. I have a secret to tell you."

"Oh?" Rick asked, intrigued.

Kate nodded and leaned in for a kiss. Rick wrapped his arm around Kate's waist and held her tightly. "It's a good one too." She murmured against his lips.

"Well then, please, share your secret."

Kate kissed him again and pulled back slightly. "You remember the case where you met Maddie?"

Rick nodded, suddenly confused. "Yeah. You arrested her during our dinner. We never did get to finish..." Rick saw the look on Kate's face and hurried to change topics. "But that's not really important. Please, continue."

Kate smiled. "Better. Anyway, we were in the interrogation room together, and she said something-"

"That you wanted to make Castle babies with me?" Rick asked, remembering perfectly. Kate looked at him, surprise written all over her face. "Was that your secret?" He asked.

Kate nodded. "Yes?" She sighed and shook her head. "I was gonna tell you that I've wanted to make a baby with you for a while now."

Rick smiled and kissed Kate softly. "Well, I guess I know that now, don't I?"

"But you already knew." Kate whined.

Rick chuckled and managed to pull her even closer to him. "Kate, honey, everyone knew."

Kate looked at him in surprise. "No. Lanie probably did, but not Ryan and Espo."

Rick was nodding before she even finished talking. "They did. They always asked me when we'd start dating."

Kate blushed furiously and buried her face in his chest. Rick ran his hands along her spine for a while as he kissed her hair.

"Kate, it's alright, honey. It doesn't matter now, we've made a baby, just like we both wanted to."

"But it does matter! I thought I was was keeping it under wraps, and now you've just told me that all of our friends knew that I wanted to have your babies long before we were dating! Which probably meanas my boyfriends knew, which explains why it never really worked out. And that means that it's my fault! Ugh!"

"Kate, Kate. Calm down." Rick said as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It didn't work out with any of them because it wasn't supposed to."

"Do _not_ tell me that we were 'meant' to be together, Richard Castle." Kate interrupted him.

"Ok." Rick said as he fell silent.

"Don't do that either!" Kate cried. "Now you're still thinking it."

"I am." Rick said and Kate sighed.

"You're turning me into a sap." She complained.

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Rick murmured as he kissed her hair.

"Can I blame it on the hormones yet?" Kate asked shyly.

Rick laughed and hugged her tightly. "Yes, you can. YOu can blame everything on the hormones, ok?"

Kate smiled coyly. "Good. The hormones are making me horny."

Rick laughed again as he rolled her onto her back and hovered over her. "That's definitely a good thing."

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**There you have it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I was doing happy dances as I read each review. You guys made me smile. **

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	5. Monkey

**I decided to do a story about how Clara got the nickname Monkey. So here you go!**

* * *

Clara was 10 months old when it happened for the first time.

Kate had been back at work for a month, and Rick spent the day with AJ and Clara, bringing up memories from when it was just Alexis and him. On this particular day, AJ was just getting over being sick and had yet to regain her balance. A double ear infection meant that she was having issues staying upright, and the cold she had meant that her head was constantly foggy.

Rick was in the kitchen pouring her a glass of juice when he heard Clara start whimpering from her swing. Rick went over to her and lifted her out while making cooing noises in an attempt to calm her down. As soon as Rick pressed her into his chest, Clara calmed down and gripped his shirt tightly with her hands while her toes curled into his shirt as well. Rick walked back to the kitchen and stopped by where AJ was laying on the couch.

"You want to try and sit up to drink your juice? Maybe eat a little soup too?" He asked with a soft smile. AJ nodded and stood up as she began walking toward the kitchen with Rick just a few steps behind her. She was fine, until suddenly her world tipped and she began falling to the floor. Reacting on pure instinct, Rick reached out with both hands and caught her, managing to steady her. It was only when AJ was walking toward the kitchen again that Rick realized he'd completely let go of Clara.

In a panic, he looked down at his youngest daughter as he brought his hands up to support her against his chest. Clara looked up at him with sleepy eyes, and Rick noticed that she hadn't slipped much at all when he let go. Carefully, he pulled first one hand and then the other away from her, making sure to keep them close just in case it was a one time thing. However, Clara continued to look at him as she kept her grip and managed to support her body weight against him.

Perplexed, Rick put his hands back on her and carried her properly into the kitchen where AJ had pulled herself onto a stool and was slowly drinking the apple juice Rick had poured for her. He watched AJ silently for a moment, smiling when she looked up at him. He noticed Clara shift against him, and when he looked down, her green eyes met his. Slowly, as if daring him, Clara reached her hand up and grabbed Rick's ear, smiling when he made a funny face at her.

Before Rick knew what was happening, Clara let go of her other hand, so that she was using her other hand and her feet to keep her position on her father's chest. Instantly, Rick felt the change and hissed as the pain coursed through his ear. Even though he was holding her up, it felt like Clara was trying to make herself heavier.

"Apples, apples." He murmured as he reached up and removed her hand from his ear, placing it back on his chest. "Let's not do that, Clara."

Clara smiled at him and reached for his ear again. Fearing the worst, Rick grabbed her hand before she could latch on and put his hand over hers on his chest. Eventually Clara gave up and pressed her face into his neck.

"That's what Mumma does when she's mad at you." AJ said from her seat. "It's funny."

Rick looked up and shot her a playful glare. "That's because it's not your ear that's being attacked.

AJ just rolled her eyes.

* * *

When Kate got home, she paused at the door to listen to the sounds of the loft. It was relatively quiet, and she assumed AJ was sleeping. She walked into the living room and smiled at Rick and Clara playing on the floor.

"AJ asleep?" She asked softly, so as not to startle them.

Rick looked up and smiled at Kate. "Yeah. She crashed about an hour ago. One more day, and she should be completely fine."

Kate nodded and turned to walk up the stairs. She paid a quick visit to AJ to confirm that she was actually sleeping. After giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek and stroking her hair for a moment, Kate turned and walked back into the living room where she found Rick bouncing around with Clara.

"Hey there, sexy." She murmured.

Rick smiled. "Guess who learned a new trick today?" He asked.

Kate paled. "Please tell me she hasn't spoken. Or started walking."

Rick shook his head. "Still crawling around and babbling."

Kate sighed and relaxed. "What, then? I assume you're talking about Clara."

Rick nodded, smiling proudly. "Watch."

Kate did as she was told. Rick shifted Clara until they were front to front, and he released one hand to lightly tap her nose. Clara looked up at him as Rick put his hand back on her back. Still keeping eye contact, Rick slowly removed one hand, and he instantly felt Clara's grip tighten. After a moment, Rick released his other hand, smiling when Clara stayed where she had been.

"Rick! What the hell are you doing?" Kate asked, trying not to yell and startle her baby into falling.

"It was an accident originally. AJ was about to fall, and I completely let go. Clara didn't move at all. Then I tried it this way, and I swear, Kate, her grip gets _tighter_ when she knows it's about to happen."

Kate walked over to them and pulled Clara into her arms and hugged her daughter tightly. "You've done this multiple times?" She hissed, still scared about what could have happened.

Rick nodded. "And each time, she was completely fine."

"That doesn't make sense, Rick." Kate said as she felt Clara change her grip on her shirt.

"I know. But try it for yourself."

Kate shook her head. "No thank you. I'm gonna try _not_ to mess around with her and let her get hurt."

Rick rolled his eyes. "I'll be right here. Nothing is gonna happen."

Kate looked down at her baby and found her own green eyes staring back at her. Finally she sighed. "Alright. But if she starts slipping, we're never doing this again."

Rick nodded and stepped closer, holding his arms below Clara's body. Kate kept a steady eye on her daughter as she released first one, then the second hand, marveling when Clara's grip tightened and her toes curled further into Kate's shirt.

"Rick." Kate breathed as she watched her baby holding herself up. "How-?"

"I have no idea. I never would have thought it was possible. But she keeps doing it. She tried it with my ear, too. That didn't work as well."

Kate smiled and looked up at Rick and then back to Clara. She decided they'd tested the baby's strength enough for one day, and put her hands back where they belonged.

"That can't be normal." Kate murmured, still in shock. "She shouldn't be able to hold herself up like that."

"I don't know what else to tell you, other than that our children are extraordinary." Rick replied as he pulled Kate and Clara into a hug."

Kate hummed in agreement and let herself melt into the hug. Finally she pulled away and lifted Clara so Rick could kiss her cheek.

"Go make me dinner. I'm gonna put this little monkey to bed."

"Oh, I like that." Rick said as Kate walked away.

"Like what?"

"Monkey. She needs a nickname. It obviously fits."

Kate looked down and Clara and saw that her eyes were open and alert. "It certainly does." She whispered to herself. "What do you think?" She asked Clara. "You like being called Monkey?"

Clara smiled up at her mother and snuggled closer to her chest. "I guess that's a yes." Kate said as she smiled at Rick.

"Monkey it is, then." Rick declared as Kate turned and went to put their monkey into her crib.

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**So yeah. There you have it. I actually have no idea if a 10-month old would be able to do this, so whatever.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	6. Be There

**So I went to write this number, and when I saved it, I found out that I had already written one for it. (This one, actually.) So after a bit of thinking, I put the new one in 101 Reasons, and I'm putting this one here, because I like the other one better. **

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**#28 Because she wanted someone who would be there for her.**

It had been a tough case, there was no way to deny it. It had been easy as far as solving it, but when they went to arrest the guy, he surprised them.

Esposito managed to eventually subdue him, but as Kate watched him slap the cuffs on their suspect, she noted a distinct lack of commentary coming from Rick. She turned around to where he'd been, and her heart stopped in her chest. He was lying on the concrete floor with a small trickle of blood running from his scalp down his cheek.

It had turned out to not be serious, and after the paramedics had placed some steri-strips on the laceration, and told Kate what to watch out for after a head injury, he was allowed to go home.

Except that Martha was in the Hamptons, and Alexis was just getting used to college life, so neither of them could watch over him. Which was why Kate convinced Gates to give her the rest of the day off, and she took him to her apartment.

He'd been there before, obviously, both before and after they got together. But this time, he could tell that something was different. Kate was different. She was quiet the whole way back, and when they arrived after stopping at the loft to have him pack a bag for a couple of days, she carried it into her bedroom and set it in front of the bed while he sat down. She made her way into the kitchen and got him a water bottle and had him take a couple of Tylenols for the pain. Once he'd downed them and all of the water, Kate watched as he shucked his jeans and button down and crawled under the covers in only his boxers and T-shirt.

"You joining me?" He mumbled.

Kate shook her head as she carded her fingers through his hair. "No. You sleep, I'm gonna go take a shower."

Rick nodded and watched as she stood and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind herself. He listened as she turned the shower on, and just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard a noise from the bathroom.

He wasn't sure what it was at first, until he heard it again, and he realized that she was using the sound of the shower to muffle the sound of her crying.

He was confused at first, she'd told him she was fine. But then he realized that this was the first time he'd gotten hurt since they'd gotten together. After a moment of uncertainty, he climbed out of her bed and made his way to the bathroom door.

"Kate?" He asked as he knocked. "Can I come in?"

He didn't wait for her reply before he stepped into the room and made his way over to the shower. He pulled back the curtain and froze when he saw her sitting curled up in her bathtub with her face buried in her knees. After a moment, Rick reached over and shut off the water, but Kate didn't seem to notice. Rick grabbed one of her fluffy white towels and crouched down beside her as he held it out. When she made no move to take the towel from him, Rick wrapped it around her body and lifted her from the tub, grunting softly as he turned and lowered the both of them to the floor.

Kate curled into his chest and continued to shake as she cried. Rick wrapped the towel tightly around her and held her through it, placing soft kisses along her temple as he whispered soothing words to her.

"I was so scared." She finally whispered. "I didn't know why you weren't talking, and then I turned around and you were just lying there, and you weren't moving, and I just- I thought..."

"Shh." Rick soothed as he rubbed her back. "I'm right here. Just a little knock to the head, that's all. I've got a pretty thick skull."

Kate made a noise that was half-laugh, half-sob as she buried her face in his neck again. "I was still scared." She murmured.

Rick kissed her temple. "I know." He murmured.

They were silent as Kate let the last of the tears fall. When she was done crying, she stood up and held her hands out to Rick, who allowed her to help him up from the floor. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before pushing him out the door so she could change.

When she came out, she was wearing black leggings and an oversized t-shirt that Rick recognized as his own. She looked at him quizzically when she saw him lying in bed again, and it was one of the most beautiful looks he'd seen on her face. Although, to be fair, just about any look on her face was beautiful, so long as it wasn't anger directed at him.

"Come take a nap with me." He said softly as he patted her side of the bed. Kate smiled as she walked over, while she pulled the shirt off, followed by the leggings. When she crawled under the covers, Rick was instantly there to wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered against the skin of his neck.

"For what?" He asked, genuinely confused.

Kate pulled back to look at him. "For being there when I needed you."

Rick smiled down at her. "You'd do the same for me." He murmured as he kissed her head. "Now sleep." He said softly.

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**So yeah... there you go. Hope you guys like it. **

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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